Kat the Strange
by Werewolfbites
Summary: Kat Scuito has familial troubles but needs change in her life - or what's left to it. What better way to solve that than to put her and Aunt Abby together and fight out their problems? Potential spoilers of some episodes. AU; 9x04 never happened
1. Things Have Changed

**Hello! I know you are probably wondering why exactly I'm redoing this. Well, I said this story wasn't going to be supernatural and...well, it ended up so. I plan to make this strictly different, plus the story will be a little AU in the sense that the episode where Abby finds out she has a little brother doesn't happen. Nothing against that episode, but this plot is much stronger and I'm actually forming as I go rather than free-writing a chapter and uploading it just to have you read my stories. Sorry if you liked the other version, but I'm much happier with this one. It might be the angst. **

**Anyways, enjoy as always! **

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><p><em>Baton Rouge, Louisiana<em>

"Katrina Lillian Scuito! You get back here this instant!" Luka's voice was filled with rage as he stormed up the stairs after his daughter.

He made it to her bedroom just in time to see her slip out of her window and into the tree in the backyard. He ran to the window to see which way she was going and saw she was going for the garage.

"You are in _so_ much trouble!" he grumbled to himself as he ran out to stop her.

He made it outside and heard the kick-start of the 1,441 cc four-cylinder DOHC engine of the golden blazed green Kawasaki Ninja ZX he helped her fix up. She peeled out of the garage at an alarming rate and he had to jump back to avoid from being hit.

Watching her turn out of the driveway, Luka's blood boiled as he pulled out his cell phone.

It took a couple rings before a gruff voice answered, "Hello?"

"Hey Jethro, remember that 'little problem' I told you about last month?" Luka asked through gritted teeth and without announcing himself.

"Let me guess, she got out of hand," Gibbs answered.

"I could really use your help," Luka deflated, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair, "She won't listen to me. Maybe Abby can-"

"What's Abby gonna do that you haven't? You told me yourself that they will be after each other's throat if they are ever in the same room," Gibbs replied.

"I have a feeling she'll listen this time," Luka sat down on the stump of the willow tree that had to be cut down from the storm, "It's been eight years; she has no motivation for college. All she does is sleep until dusk, and then she sneaks out to who knows where."

"She's a woman now, she makes her own decisions and she'll learn the consequences," Gibbs curtly said.

"I know, but I feel like part of this was my fault," Luka's brows scrunched together as he felt on the verge of tears, "I know 'she' would never have wanted Kat to act like this."

Luka could hear Gibbs's sigh on the other end of the line, "I'll see what I can do, but I don't think bringing her up here and having her torture her aunt will help anything."

Luka felt like his bones were hollowed out, "As long as I can get a break. I don't think it'd hurt to try. There's nothing for her down here except painful memories. I can't say that I'm completely over it, but she hasn't showed one ounce of positive emotion since then. I'll hear her strumming on her guitar at times, but it's nothing like what she used to play."

"Don't get your hopes up," Gibbs said, "I'm not going to talk to Abby about this though; I'll let her handle it when Kat is here. Maybe I can even get the director here to let Kat become an intern. She might find her interest in science again by working around the lab and in autopsy."

Luka sighed in acknowledgement and ended the call, knowing Gibbs had done the same.

He looked around the place. Stumps that used to be trees littered the front and back yards; scraps of junk were piled in and by the side of the garage; the house was repaired, but it wasn't enough. Nothing was going to bring Kat's mom back.

_Later that night_

Luka had dozed off in the living room waiting for Kat to return. He woke up when he heard the purr of the engine as she cruised in to park it in the garage. He noticed that it was dark out and he got up from the armchair when he heard the key in the lock turn.

Kat slowly opened the door and slipped in. She figured her dad was asleep since all the lights were off. She crept to the stairs when the light in the living room turned on and she grimaced. _Busted…_

"Kat," Luka addressed his daughter. In the 20 years she was in existence, he never expected her to change so much. Her once light blonde hair was dyed to a natural red with darker red streaks. The light from the lamp glinted off the ring in her lip. Kohl ringed eyes almost changed the true green-blue irises she had inherited from her mother to black, soulless pits.

She stood up straight and placed her helmet on the table. She then crossed her arms and leaned against the living room's doorframe.

Her voice was gravelly like her aunt's, "What?"

"We need to talk," Luka started, but Kat scoffed and beat him to the punch.

"Dad, I have told you a hundred times, I don't want to talk," she said, turning to go up to her room.

"Hey!" Luka yelled, not extremely loud, but enough to let her know he needed her to listen. She turned and looked at him from the stairs, "Go pack your things. If you're not going to talk to me, then you have no say in whether or not you want to go."

Kat's shock almost threw Luka off, but he pushed on, "You are going to spend some time with Auntie up in D.C. along with Gibbs. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired of you doing whatever the hell you want. You don't have a job, you are not in school; sure, so it works out for you now, but what about another five years down the road? You'll be 25 and still living with and off your dad." Kat opened her mouth to oppose. "No! You said you are not going to talk, so you will not have any say. Gibbs is coming down here himself to make sure you get to D.C."

Kat looked livid, but stuck to her word and went back upstairs. She opened her door and slammed it shut behind her. She then proceeded to pull out her duffel bag and suitcase from under her bed and began packing. What her dad had said had struck a nerve, but it also snapped her synapses back into place. He was on to something. She slept all day, but when night came she snuck out and into parties and stole as many bottles and cans of alcohol she could get. She would then go to the old reservoir and drink until she was numb. This night was incredibly satisfactory with the full moon ablaze and with each bottle emptied it grew blurrier and blurrier. It was a lot like her life at the moment. She needed to do something, but the only problem she had was when he mentioned that one word.

_Auntie_.

How could she face Auntie after what she had done all that time ago? Kat pulled all of her clothes from her closet and folded them in the suitcase. She then put her toiletries from the bathroom in the duffel bag along with her favorite books and pictures. An upside would be that she wouldn't know anyone up in D.C.; at least, no one her age. She had a nagging feeling, however, that her aunt was going to watch her like a hawk the entire time. She proceeded to pack her things and the last thing she put in her bag was the only picture she had of her mom. The photo was flipped upside-down in the frame, but Kat couldn't put it in the box with the rest of the pictures her dad put in the attic.

After she put the bag and case by her door, she put her special edition Emily the Strange Epiphone SG electric in its case as well and set it with the others. Looking to see if she had forgotten anything she would want to take and seeing she had everything, she stripped and pulled on a tank top and Capri pants to sleep in. She slipped into her bed and fell asleep before she could tuck under her covers.

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><p><strong>As you can see, many changes have occurred. If you don't like the changes, I'm sorry, but like I said, I am much happier with this.<strong>


	2. Send Me On My Way

**Chapter 2**

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><p>The next morning came with a loud and incessant banging on her door from her dad to let her know Gibbs had arrived. Kat groaned when the light hit her eyes, which were sensitive from last night's drinking. She had been smart enough to wait until her sight and mind were clear enough before riding back to the house, but she still had alcohol in her system nonetheless. She got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee that had a local restaurant's logo on it. She ran her fingers through her hair before grabbing her brush and getting the worst of the tangles before grabbing her bags and going downstairs.<p>

Gibbs sat in wait in the kitchen, drinking from a mug of coffee that Luka had made. Gibbs had told the team he was going to be gone for the majority of the day, so if there was a case called in, Tony was in charge until he got back. He left late last night and drove through early morning. He planned on getting back by nightfall, but he also wanted Kat's trust. He saw the bike in the garage when he walked up to the house; he just needed his plan to work. When he heard footsteps coming down he looked up and was almost shocked. He expected the hair color to be different, but he definitely didn't expect the lip ring or the bloodshot eyes that told him she nursed her pain with alcohol. He also took note that she was practically skin and bone.

"Hey Kat," he said, taking another drink of his coffee.

She didn't return the greeting, but went and poured herself a mug of coffee, taking it black.

"Kat," Luka said, his green eyes locking on her, a warning in his tone.

"Hey Gibbs," she growled, and Gibbs could hear she inherited her aunt's gravelly vocal chords.

Gibbs sighed, set his mug on the table, and got straight to the point like he always does, "Look Kat, I don't want to make this hard on you. If you want, I can take your luggage up in the car, and you can take your bike. What'cha say?"

Kat didn't say anything at first; actually, she wouldn't even look at him either. She just stared into her mug and took another swig, "I say that sounds nice. But I want to know something," she set her mug down behind her on the counter and looked Gibbs straight in the eye, "Where am I staying?"

Gibbs linked his fingers and set them behind his head, "I was thinking in a spare room at my place until you decide to enroll in college. By then you could stay in a dorm."

Kat leered, "Sounds to me that you expect me to actually follow through with that."

"I don't only expect it," Gibbs said, suddenly serious, "I will make sure you follow through with it."

Kat's eyes – which were once glazed over from sleepiness – suddenly snapped into alertness. Her stern gaze almost became a match to Gibbs's, creating a tension in the air that almost crackled. Luka noticed the sudden change and cleared his throat to start and defuse it.

"Kat, give it a chance," Luka said, "You never know; you might enjoy going through with this."

Kat looked at her dad with 'traitor' written across her face, "And if I don't? What do you expect me to do?"

Gibbs beat Luka before he could answer her, "You can get a job in D.C. and pay for yourself. What I'm proposing to you now is an internship at NCIS, you can work a part-time job while you are an intern to start an allowance for yourself, and after a few months you can apply to any college of your choice. You can major in what you want, but what your father and I are hoping is that you'll go for a bachelor's in a natural science. After the four years in college, you can either come back to NCIS or have us recommend you to another service that you want to work for."

Kat had her coffee mug back in hand and mulled over what she had just been told while draining the rest of her coffee, "How am I supposed to pay for college and a dorm?"

"Most likely there will be a scholarship you can apply for where you can use the internship basically as a letter of recommendation," Gibbs answered.

Kat walked over to the sink and set her mug in it. Then she turned to face them, "How long have you two been planning this?"

Luka shrugged, "About two…three years."

"Does Auntie know I'm coming up or anything about this?" Kat asked, suddenly anxious.

"No, she has no idea this is going on," Gibbs said, "We figured an element of surprise was in order."

"Do I have to see her?" Kat asked, grimacing.

"You are going to be assisting in autopsy and the forensic lab," Gibbs said, but before Kat could complain he held up his hand to silence her, "I have already pulled a lot of strings getting you this opportunity. You want my opinion and advice on this situation?" Kat didn't answer; she just looked at him sullenly. "Don't screw it up."

Luka went over and enveloped his daughter in a hug, much to both their surprise, "Take care of yourself. I'll come up to visit when you are going to apply for college, but I'll come up anytime you want or need me to."

"Ok," Kat said, returning the hug half-heartedly.

"Let's get your stuff in the car then," Gibbs said, tossing Kat her helmet.

She caught it, put on her jacket, and picked up her guitar while Gibbs got her other bags. She followed him out to the sleek, dark blue Dodge Charger and carefully placed her guitar on top of her bags and made sure it wouldn't slide around and possibly get damaged.

"Is the guitar that special?" Gibbs asked, truthfully in curiosity, but there was still slight sarcasm in his tone.

Kat turned and looked at him, her face expressionless as she deadpanned, "It's my life."

Gibbs – not sure whether to take her seriously or not – went around and sat in the driver's seat and started the car. Kat pulled on her helmet and hooked the strap as she went to her bike. She flipped the kickstand back with her foot and started it with her other foot. Kat then looked to see Gibbs gesturing for her to lead; she flipped down her visor and started up the GPS program on her display. A little specification she added at the last minute in case she needed it.

Kat looked back at her house one last time to see her dad casually leaning against the window looking out from the living room. He saluted her in a farewell sense, and she looked back at the driveway before her as she started out towards a new chapter in her life.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer (since I forgot to put this on the first chapter): I don't own NCIS. Only bites of the plot and the character Kat. <strong>


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